Dutch Barge Association

[byron]

I'm in for an interesting weekend. For the first time the D.B.A. are coming to Ashmount. As I understand it two Barges will moor at the Beetle and a further three or four with me, I guess the ones at the Beetle will double bank.
The following weekend, August Bank Holiday, is the Osney rally down to me. This they have done for a quarter of a century and I have already booked the moorings for 2014 for them.

 

[boatone]

Now officially known as DBA-The Barge Association, I believe.

 

[dash300]

Now officially known as DBA-The Barge Association, I believe.

Have they resolved their differences then?

 

[Gumpy]

If that's the spat of two years ago some of us left!

 

[byron]

If that's the spat of two years ago some of us left!

Every club has their factions and differences of opinion and policy. I can think of three clubs that have disappeared off the Thames in the last quarter century all killed off by internal dissent, others have been brought to their knees by cliques only to stagger on and recover.

 

[Gumpy]

I resigned because I didn't feel that the way it was being driven was something I wanted to be part of, was actually the first one to go, guess my convictions were stronger than some others........
Have since sold the barge and gone back to a NB I get much more boating done which is more fun.

 

[boatone]

I resigned because I didn't feel that the way it was being driven was something I wanted to be part of, was actually the first one to go, guess my convictions were stronger than some others........
Have since sold the barge and gone back to a NB I get much more boating done which is more fun.

I'd still like to know just how they managed to convince the EA that there should be a cap on licence fees for the largest boats (over 80sq.metres).

 

[TrueBlue]

I resigned because I didn't feel that the way it was being driven was something I wanted to be part of, was actually the first one to go, guess my convictions were stronger than some others........
Have since sold the barge and gone back to a NB I get much more boating done which is more fun.

Result! - somewhat more confining, though - spacewise

 

[Gumpy]

As I remember it the reasoning was that since the fees were originally set there had been percentage increases year after year thus those with larger boats were now paying far more as a percentage of the total fees than they did when the fees were set. This was discouraging barges from using the river thus reducing revenue.
This could also explain why it appeared on my trip this year that the number of larger barges on the Thames had increased.

 

[Gumpy]

Result! - somewhat more confining, though - spacewise

Yes and it allowed me to reduce the mortgage on our cottage by 50k so even more of a result.

ETA the NB is faster, more economical, quieter, and all in all a superior craft, not that the barge was bad.